~ Fiction by ChanelAddict

Absolution 14.

SPOV:

We did not have sex, we made out a lot and touched and made out some more, but this night was about something other than sex. It felt final, and I hated how final it felt, because he and I, if I had my way and I knew if he had his, we were nowhere near ready for a finale.

It was just the beginning.

“I won’t let you die because of me, for starters it’s stupid, and for seconds, as soon as Pam finds out my ass is toast anyway – so pointless loss all around.” I said quietly, as we laid there, on the soft leather bed, my head in the nook of his arm, my fingers gently caressing the device that could end his life in a tap.

I just hoped the person in charge did not sit on their phone or something.

“It’s decided, Eric.” I said, we had been debating the facts repeatedly for hours, and his bleeds were starting in now that the sun had rose for a new day. “I will go with you both tonight, and we save us from the inside out.”

“No.” He said firmly, as he had many times before. I kissed him sweetly before I tapped the iStake then; reminding him that he really didn’t have a choice in this, at all. One little push of a button and he was gone, I couldn’t let that happen, and since for once I had the opportunity to do the right thing, I was going to take it with both hands. Claude said Claudine choose her fate, well so was I, if my fate was going out while saving someone I loved, then so be it, it wasn’t like I didn’t have enough sins to repent for anyway.

He turned to me then, allowing my head to land on the pillow, he held himself up by his hard to his head, he was studying me, it would have been unnerving if I didn’t know him like I know him now.

“Why?”

“Why what?”

“Why are you so willing to walk into the lair, why now?”

I shrugged.

“I don’t want to die, Eric, and I don’t want you or Bill to die either, but this is all inevitable without the Fairies help, and since they won’t, we have to get ourselves out of this mess.”

He narrowed his brows at me, before gently stroking my face.

“Are you doing this out of guilt, Sookie?”

I shrugged, maybe I was, but what did it really matter now.

“You’re doing this because of the Werebitch?”

“The Werebitch has parents, and an ex out looking for her… which is more than what I had when I disappeared.”

That cut him, I hadn’t meant for it to but he flinched.

“I looked for you; I never stopped looking for you … why the hell do you think I bought the house in the first place? I knew you’d need a home… a home to come back to, one filled with your things, your Grandmother’s things… I …”

I kissed him then, in truth his truth was something I was having a hard time handling. I had always assumed he bought it before he really cared about me, that it was just a bargaining chip to be held over my head until I agreed to be his. But it wasn’t, and now I knew his true motivation, I couldn’t help but love him that little bit more for it. My Eric wasn’t just the only Eric that cared and fell in love with me, it seemed that his Eric, even with all his bravado loved just as much.

“I know, I know… I’m sorry I just… I killed her, Eric.”

“Before she killed you, after she basically killed your friend. There should be no guilt here, Sookie, you acted out of self-defence and to be honest when it comes to you or her, you win every time. Tell me one person on this earth that wouldn’t do what you did to survive.”

I had heard this from him before, and somewhere I knew he was right and maybe one day I would accept it and stop fearing that person that I was to become, but as things stood, it was still so fresh and the guilt was very real. I figured maybe if I came clean.

“I’m going to tell Alcide, I should have told him here but I didn’t, but I should put him and her parents out of their misery, and hey, If I go to jail the vampires can’t use me as their SPF!” I faked a smile and he rolled his eyes, we talked a little more before his day sleep won out and he was all but dead beside me. It was only really then did I find the courage to whisper to him what I had wanted to say but could not.

“I love you, Eric.” I said it quietly before I kissed his cheek, and if he heard me or not I wouldn’t know as he was silent and appeared deep in sleep, or very dead. Either way it did not matter, because soon I would find the courage to say aloud and proud. I just hoped that courage came sooner rather than later. I did not wake up until two, still wrapped around my big Viking badass, though he looked nothing of the sort in his slumber. Allowing the guilt of a wasted day to set in, before I got up, got ready, and made my way to the field where I knew the invisible fairy club to be.

Of course, I felt ridiculous; there I was standing in a field in the middle of the day, staring at nothing. To the naked eye, crazy Sookie Stackhouse was at it again. To my eye, I was staring at an elaborate tent in vibrant colours that held my fairy family inside. I took a deep breath before I crossed over, walking in to find it as busy as ever and Claude behind the bar.

“Good, still alive then I see.” He sassed.

“Yeah, no real thanks to you…” I sassed back as I took my seat and he put an orange juice in front of me without asking.

“You’re here aren’t you?”

“Yes, but after tonight I might not be, in fact I can pretty much guarantee I won’t be.”

“Sookie I want to help you, I really do but I have people to answer to even on earth, and I’m sorry but the idea of putting our whole race at risk of exposure, and certain death… is just not a risk worth taking.”

“Even for me, even for me as you call me your family? I would take it for you if you asked.”

“But I’m not asking, am I?”

“No but if you did.”

We both looked at each other and as I tried to read his mind the static sound came though, that and not really anything else.

Great, just great.

Something in him snapped though, he sighed dramatically before putting down his glasses that he had been busy shining, took me by the hand and let me through some pink doors.

“Can you control the light?” I nodded.

“Better than I could before, a lot better. Eric has been training me actually, to get better control over things.”

He seemed surprised by that.

“See, he’s not all bad, I swear.”

“What else?”

“Um, I was able to sort of reach inside his head, pick at his memories as if I was standing right in them.”

That had been a freaky experience to say the least, freaky, but beautiful. I imagined not all Eric’s memories held such beauty.

“Instantaneous travel?”

What now?

“The popping? A little, more of hazy blurring like TV static or something but nowhere real. I can do that too?”

“For half a Fairy you certainly seem to have elevated powers for your percentage.”

I wondered if Eric’s blood had anything to do with that too.

“Uh, thanks?”

“Try it now, try and ‘pop’ as you say, into the bar.”

“I don’t really know how.”

“Think about it; think of what it might look like, where you’d like to stand, if there is someone you’d like to stand next to. I do it by thinking of my brain like a map, pin the map and there I land. Try it.”

I half wondered if I clicked my heels together three times if something would happen; I resisted the urge to do it through.

I thought real hard, squeezed my eyes shut for effect and clasped my hands together. I felt woozy, but nothing really worthwhile, after what seemed like the slowest minutes ever to pass I finally spoke.

“Claude this isn’t working, I’m not moving and …oh.” I opened my eyes to see that I was standing behind the bar. Holy shit!

“I did it! I moved without…you know moving!” I said full of happiness that it actually worked.

He smiled and nodded.
“Excellent, any side effects?”

“I feel a bit sick…and kind of tired, but that’s nothing out of the ordinary for me really…” I was thinking over the past few months, and really, sadly, it was how I felt most of the time. Sick and tired of being sick and tired.

“Sit have a sip of your juice, that’s amazing Sookie, really. I’ve seen full bloods struggle more with their first movements than you, remarkable really.”

I felt proud of myself for the first time in ages, and I sat back in the seat having gotten something about ‘elders’ from his head.

“That is good, thanks Claude. Now here’s the deal, if I’m so remarkable for a percentage fairy don’t you think the elders would have some kind of say in keeping me alive?”

He blanched at that. I knew nothing of Elders or anything in between, but he did and apparently that counted for something.

“Wha –“

“I’m asking for your help, please just do as I asked and I will help you in any way I can – as will Eric and all that owe him loyalty – vampire, were, other crazy ass creatures I don’t even know about yet. If Eric owes you a debt, trust me, he will pay it and, so will I. Just please, agree to this for me for whatever family bond we may have, it has to stand for something?”

He sighed and poured himself a shot before he addressed me again.

“I cannot promise you all for what you have asked of me, it’s not easy getting other fae tribes together like this.”

“Anything you can offer me would be an amazing help, please?”

With a deep and worried sigh, he agreed.

“I will do all I can, but you better be a woman of your word, Sookie.”

I nodded profusely, I was, and now, even more so.

EPOV:

I woke up to her smell, but not her presence, I woke up to the words she spoke ringing in my ears.

She loved me. She loved this Eric.

I could not help but smile to myself in my cubby even though no one could see.

Before I even crawled out of the space to the room above I sensed Pam and Tara. Finding myself right, they were both there sporting weirdly matching angry faces.

“The fuck, Eric? Seriously.”

“I know, okay. I know. Let’s just get back to the club; I have to be back here again soon.”

“Are we ever going to actually talk about what’s happening here? What’s happening because of Sookie – again?” Pam added bitterly, though her child looked less bitter at the talk of her former friend, she still stayed silent.

“We’ll discuss it at the bar; there are thing I need to find there first.”

As we were exiting the house, Sookie came running up the steps a big old smile on her face.

“I can pop now.” She announced causing Pam to roll her eyes and Tara to just observe.

“Pop?”

“Well, I can explain it better later, but … are you guys leaving?”

“We’re on our way back to Fangtasia, apparently my maker has business there he can’t or won’t discuss with his child.” Pam said still sporting her side-eye.

“Oh, okay well I can –“

“Come with us?” I offered making Pam sigh again and take off, leaving Tara looking at Sookie and I before she took made her hasty exit. I would deal with them later. Instead, I took Sookie in my arms and made the journey to my club in less than five minutes, letting her down outside the doors I still held on to her shaky hand as we entered the still empty bar. The gesture did not go unnoticed by her, and it certainly didn’t go unnoticed by my child and my grandchild either. I got to my office with Sookie and found Compton waiting there; he thankfully did not have the nerve to sit in my seat, instead sitting on the couch, a bottle of Tru blood in hand.

“There you are. When I woke, I had a few things to handle with Jessica, and I figured you would have spent the night here. Clearly, I was wrong in that assumption.” He said as he glared at Sookie and my hands still joined. I pulled away from her as gently as I could, going to the other side of my desk and checking the list of messages left there for me by Pam.

“Fine, Sookie has agreed to come with us.” I stated not looking at him; I knew his pout-face would be in full effect as he tried to rein in his joy at not being iStaked, but his so-called pain at having Sookie

“Sookie, we will do what we can to protect you, you must understand that.”

She sighed.

“How are y’all going to protect me when you can’t even save yourselves.”

I fought the urge to smirk, because really, she wasn’t wrong. Bill decided to exit the office with his drink, and I went straight for the bookshelf, straight to where Nora had directed me in her note.

Any hope I had of it being something positive was dashed when I opened the large, centuries old book that sat in my bookshelf. Photos of Sookie and I, photos of her blasting my ass twenty feet in the air, with a simple note in her hand ‘I’m sorry, Brother.’

I didn’t understand it at all. Why would she do this, how, when and for what end? Had her teachings of loyalty from Godric come to this, after all the years we had been through the world? I did not have time to process it, not even a full minute passed before Nora herself walked into my office and just a second later, I had her up against the wall, my hands on her throat. Sookie looked on in terror.

“WHY?” I demanded of her, she feigned fear but I smelled none. “WHY are you doing this, Nora.”

“B-Because she is the way, Brother, don’t you see. She is the light we have all been searching for, and you… you found her for us.”

The only thing I smelled now was Sookie’s fear spiking, her heart pounding.

“She is just …”
“I haven’t shown the VA the photos, not yet…” She continued taking my hand from her neck, not that I had much of a grip there now anyway. My shock at her betrayal washing over me so quickly.

“I don’t have to… we can … find the source of her powers ourselves.”

Sookie’s heart was beating off the charts, and I knew she was wondering if she should run now or stay.

I looked to her, and saw the tears in her eyes. I never wanted any of this for her.

“No. She is just a girl, Nora.”

“Just a girl? Have the decades in this backwoods dump made you soft, Eric?” Nora asked her voice tinged with anger. “Godric, you and I we laid waste to many a girl, many just a girl.”

I knew that, I knew what our past entailed better than anyone did.

“Not her. Not now.”
“Why?” She asked as if she were a spoiled child I had denied her favourite toy.

“Because,” Sookie spoke, the unshed tears still in her eyes but she spoke loud and confident.

I looked from her to Nora, to Bill and back to Sookie again. She nodded at me.

“I love you, Eric, and it’s something I should have said out loud…. A lot… before this. But I didn’t because I was scared. But I do, I love you and I know…”

I moved from Nora, to Sookie and grasped her hands in mine; everything she was saying she meant completely, the look in her eyes told me so. I was sure the look in mine told her and everyone else just how happy I was at her little confession, no matter how ill timed.

Sookie leaned up then and whispered, “I’m not just doing this because –“

“I know. I assured her with a smile. I heard Bill sigh at the doorway before turning to see him roll his eyes. He held his phone in one hand, shaking it at me.

“That was a call from the tech department.” As he said it, our chests both lit up, like ill-fated, slightly shitty superheroes. “We have two hours or else.”

With that, Sookie’s grasp on my hands tightened and she stood up a little straighter.

“Well, it’s now or never I guess.”

Nora looked confused, and good for her for not knowing, Sookie’s confession really helped to rein in my anger towards Nora in those moments. Had she not, had I not calmed down, who’s to say if Nora would have made it out of my office alive.

“Eric, you don’t have to do this… we can simply use-“

I grabbed her mouth then, shutting Nora up once more.

“No. We will not being doing anything, do you understand? We will go back there, we will get these … things removed and we will plead our case. Our case that stands to Sookie’s favour because as far as I know, as far as Bill knows… and if you know what’s good for you, as far as you know, Sookie Stackhouse is just waitress. Do you underfuckingstand me, Sister.” I threatened as her eyes widened, and for the first time I sensed real fear from her.

She nodded, not that I believed her for a second, not now, but as things stood if she betrayed me in there in front of them, not even the Authority law or the love for our father would save her then, if she crossed me once more, she was gone. Sookie side-eyed Nora as we exited my office, and wouldn’t you know it, outside the club there were two vans for transporting us.

I looked to Nora again as she followed us out, this time her air of cockiness had dissipated and she was walking behind us all like a child chastised.

“Sookie and I will fly. It will be faster anyway.”

“I don’t know about –“

“We won’t try and evade you Nora, what would be the point if I am to cease to exist in a couple of hours if I don’t show up?”

She nodded.

“You and Bill can travel together; you both might find you have more in common than I previously thought.” I sniped and she just crossed her arms, Bill wasn’t one bit pleased, not that I gave a fuck what he thought. However, his loyalty was about as real as my sister’s was, sadly.

I acknowledged that Pam stood at the door to Fantasia, she looked beyond forlorn. I tried to reassure her in a look alone that everything would be okay, I did not know if she understood my intention or not, but I had faith in my child.

“Try not to burn the place down while I’m gone, okay?” I said trying to let an air of sarcasm flow between us, her sad face didn’t help.

“I’ll do my best.” She nodded before I grasped onto Sookie as the van’s took to life.

“You ready?” I asked her, my now paler than usual but still ballsy Sookie.

She nodded.

“As I’ll ever be. Let’s go do some crazy shit.” She widened her eyes before she smiled and grasped her arms around my neck. Now or never, I guess we would see what we were all really made of.

Loved this chapter so much. She finally told him she loved him and that she was his. Not sure how much the VA will care but it may help. Pam needs to get over herself and quit blaming Sookie for everything that is wrong in their lives. She may turn our to be quite the asset. She did remove Eric’s curse and protect him when he had no memories. Ugh, I hate Nora. I don’t trust her one bit. Now they have to worry about Bill too. Don’t think he likes Sookie taking up for her and Eric and not just going along with him anymore. Was so proud of her these past few chapters. She’s really matured. Here’s hoping Claude comes through when she needs him. Can’t wait for next chapter.